Farmers’ Almanac

The folks at the Farmers’ Almanac can be forgiven for feeling smug: The 198-year-old publication correctly predicted the past nasty winter while federal forecasters blew it. Memories of the polar vortex and relentless snowstorms won’t soon be forgotten.

The Farmers’ Almanac is out with its annual weather forecast for the coming years. This time, it’s predicting a “piercing cold” winter with “normal snowfall” for the Upper Midwest. There are actually two Farmers’ Almanacs: the Farmers’ Almanac has been predicting since 1818 and the Old Farmers’ Almanac since 1792. Both say they average 75- to 80-percent accuracy, but some meteorologists put the Old Farmers’ Almanac to the test, saying it’s probably closer to 50 percent. WCCO Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer says the science is not solid.